Coperion K-Tron Aerolock™ rotary valves are backed by more than 45 years of experience-tested airlock design and application. Producer continually upgrading and refining airlocks, which now include more than 150 models and sizes. This broad scope and variety of Aerolock sizes and models enables Coperion K-Tron to provide the most appropriate airlocks and rotary valves for applications in the Milling and Baking food, pharmaceutical, plastics and chemical process industries.

Each Aerolock rotary valve is handbuilt to exacting tolerances and is performance tested. If an Aerolock rotary valve fails the performance test, even by the smallest of margins, we don’t ship it.

Aerolock Airlock Rotary Valve materials of construction and coatings

Standard materials of construction include cast iron or stainless steel housings and end plates with carbon steel or stainless steel rotors. The housing and end plates can be coated with chrome, Teflon®, tungsten carbide, or a material of your specification for greater wear resistance. The rotor can be equipped with stellite tips.

Wide range of rotary valve sizes

Aerolocks are available in round or square inlet/outlet configurations providing 152 mm through 508 mm [6 in through 20 in] openings. Displacements range from 2.3 to 73 dm3 / Rev [.08 to 2.57 ft3 / Rev]. Selecting the right size at the correct speed can yield any throughput desired up to over 100 tons per hour.

Airlock rotary valve accessories

A complete line of accessories is available for Coperion K-Tron Aerolocks: outlet adapters, maintenance slide gates, sight glasses, outlet guards, surge hoppers, floor support stands, and flanged transitions. We are also happy to make custom Aerolock transitions to your specifications, allowing an easy fit into your process.

All K-Tron Aerolock™ rotary valves come standard with outboard bearings. This provides protection for the bearings when the seals wear or get out of adjustment. Should a leak develop in the seal, material that passes through falls out of the ports between the seals and bearings.

Aerolock™ Rotary Valve Rotors

Rotor tips and hubs

Aerolock™ rotors are produced in 6, 8, and 10-blade configurations. The 6-bladed rotors are equipped with flexible tips that contact the housing for a good seal on dust collector applications. The 8-bladed rotors are available with flat or relieved tips. Relieved tips provide a smaller radial surface area and are useful for handling those materials that tend to build up on the housing. 10-bladed rotors are used in the MD Aerolock to provide the most complete labyrinth seal available. In addition to flat and relieved tips, the rotor is available with hubs, which are useful in shielding the seal and bearing areas from the material being handled. In applications requiring a particularly small but consistent throughput, a reduced displacement rotor can be specified. Because the displacement per revolution is less, the Aerolock can be turned faster, providing an even flow of product.

Aerolock™ Rotary Valve Housings

Round or square cast housings

The housings, complete with end plates,on all K-Tron Aerolocks are machined from castings. These parts are fully stress relieved, then precision machined. Stress relieving ensures that the metal will not move after machining, allowing the Aerolocks to be fitted to tighter tolerances. Units are available with round or square flanges.

Most are available in either Cast Iron or Stainless Steel with a variety of performance enhancing coatings available.

Aerolock™ Rotary Valve Seals

Coperion K-Tron Aerolock™ rotary valves are equipped with a choice of T3, packing gland, lip, air purge or G5 seals.

The T3 seal is our best seller, providing a Teflon® shaft insert anchored to the rotor shaft with three set screws. Two resilient double-point contact seals ride on the Teflon®, resulting in a long-lasting seal which is easy to maintain. When maintenance is required, simply loosen the set screws, remove and replace the T3 assembly, and retighten the set screws. The packing gland and lip seals are of standard industrial design.

Air Purge Seals

Air purge seals are available on all models of Aerolock rotary valves. Equipped with an optional solenoid operated valve, filter and regulator, the seals are purged with plant air ported through the Aerolock rotary valve end plates. The purge air, being at a higher pressure than the air inside the Aerolock, flows inward through the seals, keeping the conveyed materials away from the bearings.

Aerolock™ Rotary Valve Drives

Standard Fixed Speed Drive

A standard right-angle gear motor is mounted to the Aerolock™ rotary valve housing via an adjustable drive tensioning plate. The chain and sprockets are sized to provide the correct final speed on the Aerolock rotor shaft. The safety approved drive guard provides easy maintenance accessibility. The standard TEFC drive motors are set up to run on 230/460 volt, 3-phase, 10 to 90 Hz current. Other voltages and/or single-phase motors are available.

AC Variable Frequency Drive

An inverter duty rated right-angle gear motor is mounted to the Aerolock rotary valve housing via an adjustable drive tensioning plate. The safety approved drive guard provides easy maintenance accessibility. The Aerolock and drive will be geared to provide either a nominal 5 to 30 RPM range. The TEFC motors are 230/460 volt, 3-phase, 10 to 90 hertz operating range. Other voltages and motors are available. The AC frequency controller is not included with drive.

AC Variable Frequency Drive Panel

The AC variable frequency drive panel has a door-mounted rotary IEC handle and motor circuit controller disconnect with short circuit protection and Class 10 temperature overload protection. It has an IP65 [NEMA 4] electrical enclosure designed for wall mounting. The variable frequency drive comes equipped with ground fault/electronic motor overload protection and adjustable PWM frequency up to 16 KHz. The integral keypad on the VFD front allows easy access to all drive setup parameters and can be configured to follow a 4-20ma analog signal, or to discrete inputs to trigger up to (4) preset motor speeds. The AC variable frequency drive controller is set up to run on 460 volt, 3-phase, 1.6 kW [2 HP].

DC variable speed drive available upon request.

When an Aerolock is ordered with a drive, it is shipped fully assembled (unless otherwise specified).

Summary of Airlock Rotary Valves

Heavy-Duty Aerolock™ Rotary Valves

The Heavy-Duty (HD) Aerolock™ is engineered for heavy duty industrial service and high volumetric efficiency at up to 1.0 bar [15 PSI] pressure differential and temperatures up to 107.2°C [225°F]. When used in a conveying system, the pressure differential limit is 0.8 bar [12 PSI].

The HD has an eight-blade rotor that maintains a minimum two-blade labyrinth seal to minimize air leakage. The eight-blade rotor is available with flat or relieved tips in several rotor choices. The HD utilizes a single radial ball bearing on the drive side and two tapered roller bearings on the thrust side.

The Maximum-Duty (MD) Aerolock™ is commonly used with some of the most challenging materials including minerals, chemicals, fillers, food ingredients, filled pellets, PVC compound and diatomaceous earth. The MD is engineered for heavy to severe industrial service with pressure differentials up to 1.4 bar [20 PSI] and/or temperatures of 121°C [+250°F]. The ability to withstand severe shock loads and elevated temperatures make the MD Aerolock a "true maximum duty" performer.

The MD has a ten-blade, rotor that maintains a minimum three-blade labyrinth seal to minimize air leakage. The ten-blade rotor is available with flat or relieved tips in several rotor choices. The MD utilizes two tapered roller bearings on both the thrust and drive sides.

The Quick-Clean (QC) Aerolock™ is well suited for use in the food, chemical, plastic, and pharmaceutical industries where contamination is a constant concern and frequent disassembly and cleaning is required. Without disengaging the valve from the system, the QC can be easily disassembled, cleaned, and reassembled. The optional support carriage is ideal for use in high places to facilitate rotor removal. The carriage fully supports the rotor as it is removed for cleaning.

Incorporating the same maximum-duty features as the MD Aerolock, the QC offers 24-hour service at pressure differential up to 0.8 bar [12 PSI]. The QC has a ten-blade, rotor that maintains a minimum three-blade labyrinth seal to minimize air leakage. The QC utilizes two tapered roller bearings on both the thrust and drive sides.

The Blow-Through (BT) Aerolock™ configuration enhances rotor cleanout and makes installation in tight quarters possible. It is often used in sticky material applications to prevent material build-up in the rotor pockets.

The BT is designed for heavy-duty industrial service in applications of up to 0.8 bar [12 PSI] pressure differential. Eight blades maintain a minimum two-blade labyrinth seal to minimize air leakage. The rotors are equipped with relieved tips for materials that form skins or thin sheets on end plates and housing, or non-relieved tips for cereal products. The BT utilizes a single radial ball bearing on the drive side and two tapered roller bearings on the thrust side.

Standard Mechanical Specifications:

Round or square inlet/outlet flange patterns

Cast iron housing and end plates only (coatings available)

Carbon steel rotors

Outboard bearings

Note: For more information on these products consult your K-Tron Premier Sales Representative.Caution: Measurements are for general reference only. Please consult dimensional drawing for exact measurements.

Light-Duty Aerolock™ Rotary Valves

The Light-Duty (LD) Aerolock™ provides an excellent seal in low pressure or low vacuum service. It is ideally suited to continuously discharge from cyclone or filter-type dust collectors where a head of material does not build up on top of the Aerolock inlet.

Pressure differential across the LD is limited to a maximum of 0.2 bar [3 PSI], allowing the flexible tip rotor to keep air loss to an absolute minimum. Flexible tips eliminate tolerance adjustments, and the rotors are easily replaced as they wear. They are ideal for use with fine powders and dusts commonly associated with cyclone and dust collector applications. The LD utilizes a single radial ball bearing on both the thrust and drive sides.

The Maximum-Duty (MD) 1820 Aerolock™ is K-Tron`s largest rotary valve available and is designed for high volume service. The MD 1820 is commonly used with some of the most challenging materials including minerals, chemicals, fillers, food ingredients, filled pellets, PVC compound and diatomaceous earth. The MD 1820 is engineered for heavy to severe industrial service with pressure differentials up to 1.4 bar [20 PSI] and/or temperatures of 121ºC [250ºF]. The ability to withstand severe shock loads and elevated temperatures make the MD 1820 Aerolock a "true maximum duty" performer.

The MD 1820 has a ten-blade, rotor that maintains a minimum three-blade labyrinth seal to minimize air leakage. The ten-blade rotor is available with flat or relieved tips in several rotor choices. The MD 1820 a single radial ball bearing on the drive side and two tapered roller bearings on the thrust side.

Standard Mechanical Specifications:

Rectangular inlet/outlet flange patterns

Cast iron housing and end plates (coatings available)

Carbon steel rotors

Outboard bearings

Aerolock™ Rotary Valve for Flour Milling Industry

This group of Heavy-Duty and Blow-Through Rotary Valves are designed with T3 Seals for the specific purpose of conveying flour during milling processes.